Laparoscopic-assisted vaginal hysterectomy: is it a genuine alternative?

Hysterectomy, the removal of the uterus, is one of the most common operative procedures performed in the United States. Traditionally, the procedure was either abdominal, with a laparotomy incision, or vaginal, with all dissection being performed through the vagina. Today a new alternative, the laparoscopic-assisted vaginal hysterectomy, is available. It is an alternative to the abdominal hysterectomy, and is meant to reduce the percentage of abdominal versus vaginal hysterectomies. Laparoscopic-assisted vaginal hysterectomies may be performed on vaginal hysterectomy cases for learning purposes.